When you think of using tech to speed up conversions, maybe you imagine something like customer relationship management, or CRM, systems. Or you might think of digital advertising tools that aim to get a potential client or customer to do what you want.
But driving conversions is no longer about traditional methods of persuading your audience to act. Consumers are smarter and more informed, and good salesmanship centers anticipating and meeting the needs they already have.
The way to move conversions along now is to make the buying experience as smooth as possible for the customer. What you need is a frictionless journey that takes your prospect from curiosity to sale.
Backend tech tools to speed up sales processes are so abundant it can be overwhelming. And some of them may make your team feel more efficient without actually speeding up the customer journey. Here are four simple ways to drive conversions without adding needless fluff. These tools work by putting the customer first — where they belong, every time.
1. Easier Online Applications
If you’re in the business of selling big ticket items, you know each sale is a marathon, not a sprint. You need tools that make it easier for your clients to stick around for the long haul. You never want a client to regret their decision before they’ve even finished signing on the dotted line.
This is especially true if your industry requires an application process, like medical insurance or apartment rental. Scanning and attaching zillions of documents — or worse, sending you physical paperwork — could be creating major pain points for your customers. You could be losing valuable clients because your web portal is too clunky — or you don’t have one at all.
Even if the experience is painless for customers, you could still be giving them too much time to change their minds. When third-party providers take too long to turn around income verification, credit checks, etc., you still risk losing the sale.
The good news is, technology can make these processes a lot more streamlined. The right solutions partner can speed up the admin, so you can focus on your client. Invest in tech tools that make online application submission feel as easy as updating an Instagram story. But be available and ready to help your clients if they still have trouble figuring it out.
2. Personalization Engines
In this day and age, personalization isn’t just a suggestion — it’s a necessity. Brands, retailers, solutions providers, and other sellers use personalization tools at nearly every stage of the sales process. If you’re not offering your client what they want before they even realize it, you’re falling behind your competition.
Personalization tools can help segment your marketing emails to tailor sales tactics to each customer demographic. They can target ads and content so your customer sees messaging custom-fit to their needs and preferences. Personalization tools can even make product recommendations, adjust pricing, or track customer behavior to introduce offers at the right time.
Big companies are also using AI like ChatGPT to innovate personalization. For instance, Shopify and Klarna’s plugins can offer recommendations to users based on their messages and queries. Mercari, the online marketplace, uses a similar ChatGPT-powered product to make recommendations.
Depending on the size and type of business, it may be impractical or cost-prohibitive to implement the latest personalization tools. But if you run a webstore, your platform or marketplace probably offers a few plugins to choose from.
3. Simplified Checkout Tools
Around 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned, in many cases because the shopper finds the checkout process too complicated. Customers don’t want to enter their addresses or credit card information or create an account they think they’ll never use.
Features like one-click checkout and services that autofill user information can remove friction and increase the likelihood of conversion. Anything that results in minimal input for the user will make it easier to turn a browser into a customer. Programs like Shop Pay can transfer user payment data across different sites, so customers never have to re-input their info.
Another way to drive conversions is to focus on improving your mobile user experience. Even more conversions are lost because users get frustrated with how sites perform on their phones. Designing webstores for use with one hand and integrating with checkout options like Apple Pay can improve your sales.
Social media services like TikTok and Instagram have also introduced checkout options that don’t require users to leave their apps. Selling through one of these platforms could be another way to increase your conversions.
4. Email Marketing Automation
Email isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you imagine innovative new tech to scale your business. But advances in personalization have made email marketing an extremely effective way to drive conversions. Personalized emails can make users feel more connected to your brand, increasing the likelihood of a sale. Consumers also say they want to hear from brands via email, over other methods.
If you haven’t already, adopt new tech solutions that segment your customers and automate personalized emails. Use email marketing solutions that send customers cart abandonment reminders, offer discounts, drive repeat purchases, and provide customized product recommendations.
Email marketing is also an excellent way to collect more data on your potential customers.
Take advantage of your email program’s analytics tools to study how your campaigns are working. You can learn what resonates, what gets consumers to open and click, and what truly drives more sales.
As with your webstore, you need to make sure you optimize your email marketing for mobile. Also note that, in certain industries, you need to use email programs that are compliant with regulatory standards like HIPAA.
Putting Relationships First
No matter the industry, the way to win the sale is to forge a genuine connection with the customer. When you make them feel like your brand really knows what they want, you earn their sale and their loyalty.
There are a million ways to make this happen, from tailored recommendations to emotion-driven email campaigns. All of them work, if done well, so don’t get stuck on the details. Focus on keeping the client front and center, always.
